Horseshoe.



No. 770,918. PATENTED SEPT. 2'7, 1904. J. M. MYERS.

HORSESHOE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1904- NO MODEL.

'Fzlq. 2

mllllll HHIHiHr I Patented September 2'7, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE:

JOHN M. MYERS, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MYERS ADJUSTABLEHORSE SHOE 00., OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A COR- PORATION OF KEN TUOKY.

HORSESHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,918, datedSeptember 27, 1904, Application filed May 9, 1904. Serial No. 207,118.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. MYERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of 5Kentucky, have invented certain new and use- .ful Improvements inHorseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provideimproved means for attachingtoe-calks to horse- 1 shoes.

It is well known that the toe ends of horseshoes wear out much soonerthan the opposite ends, and it is generally necessary to have the entireshoe removed when only a portion I thereof is worn out. Removabletoe-calks have heretofore been used; but according to myinvention Iprovide toe-calks of improved construction and employ novel devices bymeans of which the toe-calks may be very 2O quickly and securelyfastened to the shoe and may be easily and quickly removed and replacedwhen desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of ahorseshoe with my 2 5 improvements applied. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinalcentral section thereof. Fig. 3 isa perspective view of a flat or blunttoe-calk. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a spring cotter or key forattaching the calk to the shoe.

3 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a sharp toecalk used in slipperyweather. Fig. 6 is a front view thereof.

The shoe Ais shown as of the usual shape, and it is formed with fiatheel-calks a. At its toe end the shoe is formed with avertical openingB, and in front of this opening the shoe is formed with an upwardly-projectingflange O, having a horizontal opening 0. On oppositesides of the opening B the shoe is formed 4 with sockets D for thepurpose presently explained.

The toe-calk illustrated in Fig. 3 is shown as consisting of a block 6,having a flat under side and a lug e projecting from its upper side.This lug is adapted to extend through the opening B, and it is formedwith a horizontal opening 6 near 1ts upper or outer end, which registerswith or is in line wlth the opening 0 in the flange 0 when the parts areassembled. The block 6 is formed near its opposite ends with studs orlugs 0 adapted to enter the sockets D, and when the toe-calk is thusapplied the parts may be securely locked together by means of the springcotter or key F. ,(Shown in Fig. 4:.) This device, as shown, consists ofa strip of metal bent upon itself, forming a loop f and arms f f One ofthe arms, as f is formed with a curved orrounded bulgingend f". Thearmsare arranged some little distance apart, so

that when they are pressed upon they will give or yield to some extent.The arrangement is such that when the opening 0 registers with theopening 0 the spring F may be inserted from the outside through theopening 0 and the spring-arms will yield, permitting them to passthrough the opening 6 which is slightly narrower than the key, when thearms are distended, as shown in Fig. 4. As soon as the enlarged portionf has passed 7 by the lug the arms spring apart and the toe-calk issecurely locked to the shoe and will remain thus looked under ordinaryconditions; but by inserting a suitable tool into the looped front endof the key it may be withdrawn, and then the toe-calk may be separatedfrom the shoe and replaced by another.

The toe-calk shown in Fig. 5 is similar in all respects to that shown inFig. 3, except that it is made sharp on its under side, and this sharpedge is curved, and at opposite sides of the central sharp portion ofthe calk are located studs or spurs G. This toe-calk is intended for usein slippery weather, and by the use of such a calkI am enabled to dis- 5pensewith sharp heel-calks, because owing to the location of the spurs Gand the curved shape of the flange twisting of the shoe is prevented andslipping in any direction is avoided. This is considered an important 9feature, as sharp heel-calks are very objectionable. By employing thestuds 0 fitting into the sockets D, I am enabled to provide a secureconnection between the toe-calk and the shoe, preventing rattling orshaking, and a close fit between the lug e of the calk and the opening Bis unnecessary. In some other shoes this opening is made to lit theinterlocking part of the toe-calk very closely in order to avoiddisarrangement of the parts; but sometimes this close fit makes itdifficult to separate the parts.

I have shown my improvements applied to a solid horseshoe; but they maybe applied to composite shoes and, in fact, to various kinds of shoes.The hoof is of course cut away properly to accommodate the flange G, thelug e, and the key F.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a horseshoe formed atthe toe with a vertical opening and with a flange in front of thisopening having a horizontal opening above the top of the shoe, and atoe-calk having an upwardly-projecting lug extending through thevertical opening in the shoe and having a horizontal opening above theshoe in line with the opening of the front flange thereof, and a springcotter or key adapted to lock the toe-calk to the shoe consisting ofspring-arms one .of which is formed with a curved enlargement whichengages the rear face of the upwardly-projecting lug of the toe-oalk.

2. The combination of a horseshoe formed at its front end with avertical opening and a.

which has two parallel spring-arms one of which is formed with anenlargement which is adapted to expand beyond the lug of the toe-call;and lockthe toe-calk to the shoe.

3. The combination of a horseshoe formed at the toe with a verticalopening, and a flange in front of this opening having a horizontalopening and formed also with sockets on opposite sides of its verticalopening, and a toecalk having upwardly-projecting lugs fitting thesockets and another centrally-arranged lug extending through thevertical opening in the shoe and having a horizontal opening in linewith the opening in the front flange of the shoe, and a locking deviceextending through the openings in the front flange of the shoe and thecentral lug of the toe-calk.

4. The combination with a horseshoe formed with a vertical opening atthe toe and with sockets on opposite sides of this opening, a curvedtoe-calk having upwardly-projecting lugs extending into the sockets, and

through the opening in the toe and which is formed on its outer sidewith a centrally-arranged sharp flange and with spurs on opposite sidesof this flange, and means engaging the middle upwardly-projecting lugfor detachably connecting the toe-calk with the shoe.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN M. MYERS.

Witnesses:

N. B. VVATTs, E. STEFATER.

